The effects of electroconvulsant shocks on phagocytic activity and on phagocytic response

The influence of a single or several subsequent convulsant electroshocks at different time laps (2-4 day), over a month, on the phagocytic activity was studied on seven dogs. The electroconvulsant shock was performed with bitemporal electrodes, at a liminal electric power. Phagocytosis was studied in vitro with amidon particles in whole blood, incubated 1h at 37 degrees C. After 4 hours the phagocytosis increases in all animals and remains higher for 12 days. Later on the repeated shocks produce very different changes of the phagocytic activity, depending, not only on the stressor agent, but also on the animal particular reactivity, conditioned genetically and by its individual history.